Sanford & Tucker

Sanford and Tucker. Sanford Est. 1877. Henry Shelton Sanford (1823-1891) and Joseph Wofford Tucker (1822-1897) were significant figures in the creation of the city. The men were on opposing sides during the Civil War. Sanford, a Connecticut native, was appointed U.S. Minister to Belgium by President Abraham Lincoln in 1861. During that time he established a Union spy network in Europe. Meanwhile, Tucker, a member of the Confederate secret service , tried to undermine the Union by sabotaging riverboats hauling troops and supplies., After the war, Henry S. Sanford and J. Wofford Tucker were similar to many other men of their time , who worked to reunite the country. Both men were lawyers, land developers, and businessmen who purchased adjoining tracts of land on the southern shore of Lake Monroe. They agreed to form several business partnerships, including a slaughterhouse and a wharf. These former rivals now dedicated themselves to building a new town. Ironically, former Confederate J. Wofford Tucker was the first to sell lots to African Americans, and it was Tucker’s daughter Louisa who suggested the name “Sanford” for the new town., Evidence of Sanford and Tucker’s land boundaries is still visible at the intersection of 2nd Street and Sanford Avenue. Tucker built Union Avenue (now 2nd Street) from Sanford Avenue east to link the growing town of Sanford to the community of Mellonville. At the time of construction, a home was located at the corner of this intersection, which resulted in an offset at 2nd Street that exists to this day., (caption) , The tableau above depicts former Union and Confederate veterans working together after the Civil War. , Pathways to History is a series of self-guided tours focused on Sanford’s development and its neighborhoods. Scan the QR code with your smartphone or visit www.sanford.gov to learn more about Sanford’s rich history. , All images are courtesy of the Sanford Museum.